Bloomberg

This is the residence of Michael Bloomberg, mayor of NYC. Elected in 2001 and for a second term in 2005, Bloomberg opted to live in his Manhattan residence rather than Gracie Mansion (the official Mayoral residence since 1942, when Robert Moses paved the way for Fiorella LaGuardia to become Gracie Mansion's first resident.) The 5-story, 7,500-square-foot townhouse at 17 East 79th St. was built in 1889 and purchased by Bloomberg in 1986 for $3.5 million - ($17 million today). Don't be deceived understated elegance of this building - these small townhouses and limestone mansions between Fifth and Madison on the Upper East Side are among the most coveted properties in NYC in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the world - this is super prime real estate. Bloomberg has been a unique office holder, not coming from the world of politics. With a B.S. in electrical engineering from John Hopkins and a Harvard MBA, he certainly had the intellectual acumen and academic achievement for his forays into the business world using his background in technology, after his stint at Salomon Brothers. A self-made billionaire from a humble background, Bloomberg is in various Forbes' lists as one of the world's richest men with homes around the world. His Bermuda home has billionaire Ross Perot and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as neighbors. He has a 20-acre farm in North Salem, NY, a Victorian townhouse in London and a condominium in Vail, Colorado. He is a private pilot with a fleet of aircraft at his disposal. Yet, ever to be practical and demonstrate that at some level he is still one of us plain folk, he continues to take the subway every morning to City Hall (albeit with bodyguards) and list his address and phone number in the white pages (yes, I checked) ...